Carlson has a decidedly different look in that he’s 6-foot-5, unusual for a kicker.

“You get more leverage on the ball, but if I have a little angle off on the hip, it’s a bigger difference on my foot,” Carlson said Thursday. “I have to be that much more detailed and have a cleaner technique than a shorter guy might have. It’s something I’ve had to work on all my life, but there are some advantages when it comes to kickoffs and longer kicks.”

Carlson was a fifth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings out of Auburn and beat out Kai Forbath for the starting job. But when Carlson went wide right on field goal attempts of 48, 49 and 35 yards in a 29-29 tie with Green Bay in Week 2, he was out of a job.

“I think you learn a lot from moments like that,” Carlson said. “Obviously it sucks but I think I did learn a lot in the last four or five weeks since that happened. (I) grew up and learned the business and some of the NFL experience that you hear about.

“I think I’m better for it. I’m looking forward to the future and where I’m at right now.”

Carlson was on the Raiders’ radar when McCrane was called upon to replace Nugent, who went on injured reserve with a hip injury, but he’d already scheduled a workout with another team.

“I kind of had to circle back around, the window opened for me and I was able to have a solid workout and I guess I impressed them enough,” Carlson said. “I’m excited to hopefully stabilize the position here.”

McCrane made two of four kicks between 40 and 49 yards and missed both of his 50-plus yard attempts. He also drew criticism from coach Jon Gruden about the distance on his kickoffs.

That shouldn’t be a problem with Carlson, who had nine touchbacks in his two games.

Cabinda in right place at the right time

Linebacker Jason Cabinda, a practice squad promotion to replace Derrick Johnson, caught the eye of defensive coordinator Paul Guenther immediately after being signed as an undrafted free agent of of Penn State.

“From the very beginning, Cabinda showed he’s a smart guy,” Guenther said. “He understands the whole picture, not just his spot . . . this guy can be a real special player. He can be the guy who orchestrates everything for you in there.”

Cabinda, at 6-foot-1, 243 pounds, isn’t an impressive physical specimen but the hope is he’ll make up for it by doing things correctly.

“I’m just going to go out there and be me,” Cabinda said. “Be a leader, be a guy who gets after it, is physical, tough . . . a sure tackler who will be where I need to be at all times to make plays.”

Expect Cabinda to play initially on passing downs, an area that has been woefully inadequate in terms of coverage from linebackers.

Cabinda, who wore No. 46 in the preseason, will wear No. 53 on the 53-man roster.

Martavis Bryant could see opportunities increase

Wide receiver Martavis Bryant was jokingly called the “white tiger” by Jon Gruden during training camp. Gruden said everyone wanted to see the rare beast at the Florida zoo, but that it only rarely came out of its cage.

Now that Amari Cooper — another receiver with “white tiger” tendencies — has been traded to Dallas, Bryant will in theory get some of the opportunities of the departed receiver.

Bryant is the Raiders’ seventh-leading receiver with 14 receptions for 220 yards and a team-high 15.7 yards per catch.

“I think he’s such an explosive player,” Olson said. “I think it will help him the more he’s in the system, the more he’s here and is able to stay around and stay with one system. I think it helps a player like Martavis Bryant, because he’s got tremendous skills, tremendous size and speed and he’s still really kind of learning the system.”

Showcase time for Karl Joseph?

Safety Karl Joseph left the field just two snaps into a Week 3 loss to Miami with a hamstring injury and hasn’t been seen since.

A first-round draft pick from West Virginia in 2016, the Raiders had a plan for Joseph against Seattle in London.

“We were trying to get him up there in the London game,” Guenther said. “We tried to work him out before the game. He wasn’t up for what we were going to ask him to do, so we decided to give it another week. Hopefully he can get out there and show what he can do because he is progressing.”

If Joseph plays, it would be the Raiders’ last case to showcase his abilities with the trade deadline looming Oct. 30. The Raiders are reportedly considering Joseph for a draft pick.

Joseph was a full participant on practice Thursday.

Osemele still out with knee issue

Kelechi Osemele was the lone Raider who did not participate in practice, having missed the last two games with a right knee problem.

If Osemele misses another game, Jon Feliciano, who was limited with a rib injury, would be the likely starter. The Raiders have more depth with the addition of Denver Kirkland from the practice squad. Kirkland was upgraded from limited to a full participant because of an illness.